asked Her Majesty's Government:What investigation has been conducted of alleged interference with prisoners' mail in 'D' Wing, Wormwood Scrubs and whether any members of staff have been disciplined for their activities in this regard.The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Elton): On 21st July, a quantity of mail belonging to inmates of 'D' Wing of Wormwood Scrubs prison was discovered at the prison. Some incoming mail had not been issued, and some outgoing mail had not been posted. The mail was dated between February and June 1982. A full investigation was conducted the following day on the Governor's direction, as a result of which a prison officer, who no longer works in 'D' Wing, was charged with neglect of duty. At the formal disciplinary hearing before the Governor the charge was dismissed, and I fear that it is not possible to say with certainty who was responsible for this incident. This was a most serious occurrence and the Governor has taken steps to ensure that the operation of the censor's office is more firmly supervised.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether licences granted for the performance of experiments on living animals under the Cruelty to Animals Act I 876 protect licensees or others employed on licensed premises from prosecutions for causing unnecessary cruelty to animals in the course of handling animals before or after experiments.

Subsection (3) of Section 1 of the Protection of Animals Act 1911, which makes it an offence to inflict on any animal various forms of cruelty, suffering or ill-treatment, provides that nothing in the section shall render illegal anything lawfully done under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876. An identical provision exists in the equivalent Scottish legislation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will publish a discussion paper on their ideas for the updating of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876.

At this stage, I have nothing to add to the Answer which I gave to a Question by the noble Lord on 19th July (Col. 745).

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have noted the comment on "Airguns and injury to animals" in the

The comment has been noted. It has been decided to hold the campaign in the six weeks or so before Christmas 1983 because many air weapons are bought at that time each year. Some preparatory work has already been done. Officials are about to write to interested voluntary organisations to invite them to a meeting next month to discuss the detailed arrangements for the campaign.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action is contemplated following the report of environmental health officers regarding lead levels in London and particularly in London's schools.

I take it that the noble Lord is concerned in particular about higher than normal levels of dust-lead which have been found in certain London school playgrounds. Flaking leaded paint appears to be the cause of this. DoE Circular 22/82 has just given local authorities information and advice on various sources of environmental lead. Investigation of unusually high levels of lead in dust may well reveal a specific local cause (for example, deteriorating leaded paint), and it may be thought necessary to remove the dust as well as dealing with the cause. But because levels of lead in dust can vary widely over short distances, a small area with a high dust-lead level does not necessarily represent a significant hazard. It is for local authorities to decide upon appropriate action in the light of the DoE advice and the results of any local monitoring.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they are taking to save the swans of England from death by lead poisoning.

The Government's statutory advisers on nature conservation, the Nature Conservancy Council, are currently engaged on a programme to implement the recommendations of their report, Lead Poisoning in Swans, which was published in 1981.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps have been taken to implement the recommendations of the Working Party Report on Sewage Disposal,

A number of the main recommendations have been covered by the reorganisation of the water industry in 1974 and by the enactment of the Control of Pollution Act 1974. Proposals to proceed with a phased implementation of Part II of the 1974 Act were announced in February this year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are satisfied that British citizens serving in the European Community are being treated fairly and equally by local education authorities.

Her Majesty's Government are satisfied that local education authorities act responsibly in fulfilling their duties under the Education Acts. Nevertheless, Her Majesty's Government are aware that when local education authorities seek to apply to the wide range of individual cases the provisions of the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations in respect of eligibility for mandatory awards, they may put varying constructions on the requirement for ordinary residence. The interpretation of the ordinary residence provision is now under consideration in the courts; once the legal position has been clarified, the Government will consider what further guidance to local education authorities might be helpful.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many British Embassies in member states of the EEC are serving Lymeswold cheese and other British cheeses as a regular part of their diplomatic hospitality.

British cheeses are regularly served where possible as part of diplomatic hospitality at British Embassies in the European Community. Because of heavy home demand, the Milk Marketing Board are not at present exporting Lymeswold cheese.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the newspaper report is true that Britain alone among European countries opposed EEC aid to impoverished Nicaragua; and, if so, on what grounds.

Nicaragua already receives food aid and project aid from regular European Community programmes. In the present discussion of a special European Community programme of aid to Central America, Her Majesty's Government are anxious to ensure that the best use is made of limited European Community aid resources. In the light of the low priority Nicaragua gives to resources for social and economic development the Government believe the special programme could be put to better use in other countries of the region.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What response they have made to the disclosure in the report for 1982 issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development that third world countries are suffering the gravest economic crisis since the present depression due, among other causes, to monetarist policies, pressure on external payments, the collapse of commodity prices, and the strain of interest and profit remittances.

The Government are fully aware of the economic difficulties presently facing developing countries. We are actively engaged in efforts to help these countries to overcome their problems, both through bilateral and international action. The report to which the noble Lord refers was considered at the 25th Session of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board in Geneva last month. In a joint statement, Community countries described the report as providing "an important tool" for addressing the issues to be raised at UNCTAD VI in June next year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many parents have made representations to the Secretary of State for Education and Science concerning the decision of appeal committees about the placement of their children in secondary schools in autumn 1982, and what action he has taken as a result of those representations.

Three hundred parents have complained to the Secretary of State for Education and Science about their children's allocation to secondary school by the local education authority. Each complaint is investigated, further information being obtained as necessary. In no case so far has the Secretary of State found that an authority had acted in a way which would justify his intervention under the Education Acts.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) has issued a circular or some other form of advice or guidance to MAFF officials responsible for administering farm capital grants during 1982, and, if so, whether they will place a copy in the Library.

Instructions and guidance have been issued to MAFF officials who are responsible for administering capital grants. As these include procedures which are designed to protect Exchequer funds, it would not be in the public interest to make them generally available. MAFF officials also make use of the various leaflets which are available to the public, a set of which has been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information they have concerning the maximum draught and tonnage of ships that can enter the docks at Warrenpoint, County Down, at (

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware that it is claimed that servicemen involved in British H-Bomb tests at Christmas Island in 1957 have suffered ill effects and whether they will investigate this.

While Her Majesty's Government are aware of a few claims, the radiation exposure records for personnel involved in the British H-Bomb tests at Christmas Island in 1957 indicate that none suffered exposure in excess of the internationally recognised limits at the time and none should therefore face significant health risks as a result of these tests.